ROUTINE METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF THE ACTIVITY OF BAKER'S YEAST

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Abstract
The baking-strength test, which estimates the fermentative activity of yeast in dough by measuring the time for a standard amount of dough to reach a fixed height under standardized conditions, is subject to a random error of about 2.0 min. In 70 min. In addition, systematic errors associated with days, operators and testing stations are appreciable. These errors are mainly due to atmospheric pressure variations and to difficulties of temperature control during mixing, handling and incubation of large volumes of dough. A critical examination of published methods based on the measurement, at constant pressure or constant volume, of carbon dioxide formation, showed that none of these was entirely suitable for routine use in yeast factories. A new method, which has been called the fermentometer test, is described. This test is based on the measurement of gas evolution from a small volume of thin dough which is under constant temperature conditions throughout test. Many thousands of determinations have been carried out by the new test, which has now been adopted by us as the standard method for determination of the fermentative activity of yeast in dough. The average standard deviation of the fermentometer test is 1.0 ml. in 100.0 ml., and systematic errors are small.

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